▶️ Up to 20,000 protesters rallied in Sydney, Wednesday, December 11, demanding urgent climate action from Australia's government, as smoke from bushfires caused health problems to spike.
👉 Sydney has endured weeks bathed in toxic smoke as hundreds of blazes have raged across the countryside, with hospitals recording a 25% increase in the number of people visiting emergency rooms last week.
On Tuesday smoke alarms rang out across Australia's biggest city, with thick haze triggering smoke alarms forcing buildings to be evacuated, school children to be kept indoors, and ferries to be cancelled.
The devastating fires have focused attention on climate change, with scientists saying the blazes have come earlier and with more intensity than usual due to global warming and a prolonged drought.
Police estimated the crowd size at 15,000. Organizers put the figure at 20,000. Many of the protesters voiced anger at the government's silence in the face of the crisis. (AFP)
